TAIPEI, TAIWAN—In May 2008, IAPCHE will convene the third regional conference for Asia/Oceania. The May 3-6 conference is hosted by Christ’s College, which since “its founding in 1959, has been dedicated to the development of students’ intellect and character and helping them know God and discover the will of God in their lives.”
The conference meetings will be held at the Chien Tan Overseas Youth Activities Center, about a 50-minute drive from the Taipei international airport. Conference delegates will be lodged at the Center. The Center’s five-acre campus is located at the western edge of the Yuan Shan Hill by the Keelung River. Located near Taipei City, the Center offers peace from the loud bustle of the city with a green lawn, a coffee shop, and a parking area.
Theme and Speakers
The conference theme is “Christian Higher Education and Globalization in Asia/Oceania: Realities and Challenges.” There will be three tracks:
1. Christian higher education in contexts of cultural and religious diversity.
2. Serving Christian education at the elementary and secondary levels.
3. The academic mission to marginalized peoples.
Dr. Bong Ho Son (President, Donduk Women’s University, South Korea) will give the opening keynote address. The Track 1 lead paper will be given by Dr. Phee Seng Kang (Director, Centre for Sino-Christian Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University). Dr. Richard Edlin (Director, National Institute for Christian Education, Australia) will present the lead paper in Track 2. The Track 3 lead paper will be delivered by Dr. David Lim (President, Asian School of Development & Cross-Cultural Studies, Philippines). Dr. Quentin Nantz (Professor of Missions, Christ’s College, Taiwan) will present the closing address.
A call for papers has been issued to fill the other presentation slots at the conference. Scholars are invited to present papers in either of the three tracks or the Research Expo. Abstracts should be submitted in English by February 15, 2008.
IAPCHE regional conference topics pertain to the region and scholars within the region will be given preference in the selection process. Participants from around the world are welcome to attend.
Research Expo
The conference will also include a Research Expo featuring integral Christian scholarship across several academic disciplines. IAPCHE organized its first Research Expo in 2006 at the international conference in Nicaragua. The format allows many scholars to share their research with fellow Christians, in the following ways:
· setting up a poster session at the beginning of the conference which remains on display for the length of the conference
· distributing paper copies at their own discretion during the conference
· presenting a 30-minute summary of the paper during the conference
· discussing their research informally during “expo” periods (free time slots in the conference program, often in the evening)
Conference Schedule
The conference begins on Saturday afternoon with the opening keynote, the lead addresses in three tracks, and the opening of the Research Expo. Delegates will worship together on Sunday and become (re)acquainted at small group sessions. In addition to numerous track and expo presentations on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Christ’s College also plans a sightseeing and shopping excursion, banquet, and cultural presentation.
Conference Fee
The conference fee includes lodging for 4 nights (in a shared double room), meals for 4 days, conference materials, round trip airport transfers, sightseeing excursion, cultural presentation, and a copy of the published proceedings (after the conference). In order to enable as many delegates as possible to attend the conference, the fee will be based on the delegate’s country of residence. In this way, persons in developing countries will pay a smaller fee while persons in high-income countries will pay a larger fee. In fact, the fees from delegates from high-income countries will not only cover conference costs but also provide a donation that will offset the costs for delegates from low-income countries.
The tiered conference fee (in US$) is as follows:
$495 for delegates from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, and other high-income countries.
$395 for delegates from Malaysia, and other upper-middle-income countries.
$295 for delegates from China, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Philippines, Thailand, and other lower-middle-income countries.
$195 for delegates from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Solomon Islands, and other low-income countries.
Countries are listed where IAPCHE currently has members; contact the IAPCHE office for the economic classification of any country not listed. The table “Classification of economies by region and income, 2007” from the World Bank World Development Report, 2006 (New York, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 287), which divides country economies among income groups according to 2005 GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, was used for the tiers above.
Visas
Each delegate is responsible to verify the Taiwan entry requirements for his/her country and follow the prescribed procedures. The following general information is provided with encouragement to double check locally as requirements may change.
30-day visas are granted on arrival in Taiwan for persons holding valid passports from the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands , New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K., and U.S.A.
Nationals of countries other than those listed above must apply for a visa. Some countries have a more complicated relationship with Taiwan, which may require additional lead-time and procedures. Christ’s College is willing to assist as much as possible with adequate advanced information. Persons who need an official letter of invitation should e-mail Paul Chi (Christ’s College) with a scanned copy of their passport: jmupaul@yahoo.com
Travel Subsidy
Through the generosity of select IAPCHE institutions and donors, funds are available for partial subsidy for delegates, but they are very limited. Please submit requests online at www.iapche.org well in advance of the conference.
Note the following criteria: Subsidy will be awarded based on the demonstration of need, partial funding from another source, country of residence, and IAPCHE membership. Financial assistance will seek to accomplish representation from the countries and institutions in the Asia/Oceania region. Subsidized delegates are expected to share a room, i.e. subsidy will not cover costs for a single room. Subsidy awards will be made soon after January 1, 2008.
Donations Requested
IAPCHE is receiving donations to the travel subsidy fund for this conference. Contact iapche@dordt.edu to pledge your financial support.
Further Arrangements
Visit www.iapche.org to download the conference brochure or to submit an abstract or subsidy request. The IAPCHE website will be updated as more conference arrangements are finalized.